The widespread popularity of camping has, in recent years, spawned the development of a spectacular variety of campers, trailers, and car-top fixtures which pop up, fold out, or swing down to form many kinds of structures performing a number of different functions. Among these is a fold-out tent having a built-in bed which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,051 and approaches in some ways the concept of the present invention.
However, car-top sleeping facilities, despite numerous inventions, have not been widely used, perhaps for several reasons. The full-length bed is cumbersome during transport and when mounted on the short, curved roof lines of todays vehicles, requires a relatively elaborate support structure for each type of auto style. Further, protective weather covers, which are are rigid, are large, and when detached or prepared for sleeping or transport, are difficult and often dangerous to handle from the operator's ground level position.
There is a need for a completely self-contained car-top tent assembly which is as compact and lightweight as possible to permit the carrying thereof even on the smaller compacts, and which provides in the simplest and most easily operable form the basic requirements of bedding and shelter for either overnight road stops or extended camping.